Tom Tancredo boycotts Univision/Spanish Debate: Attacks their entire viewership
By John Amato Friday Dec 07, 2007 5:40pm
Tancredo has a little problem speaking English himself, but that's beside the point. The racist platform upon which his campaign is built is very saddening to witness. Watch his reasoning for boycotting the Univision debate.
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Q: Tom Tancredo, taking a lot of heat for refusing to take part in this Sunday's Spanish language presidential debate, it's airing on Univision. ---why take yourself out of this, sir?
Tancredo: Because I wonder to whom this audi...to whom you are supposed to to be speaking in a debate of this nature. Remember, that we are supposed to be talking to American citizens who have the right to vote. Alright, that's what a debate is for so you can inform that electorate. It's against the law to become an American citizen without the ability to speak and understand English. The law requires that. So, to whom are you speaking?
Q: Many Spanish speaking people still view Spanish as their primary language even if they have passed that test.
Tancredo: And that is the problem. We should not be encouraging that. My grandparents, when they came here. They would only let my grandparents speak Italian. They only let them speak English.
OK, jackass. Who is the "they" that made his grandparents only speak English? And who monitored their progress? What a fool. The "they" that he's talking about are the racists and now he's become part of that mob. And in the process of his race baiting---he attacks Univision's entire audience---essentially calling all viewers of Univision "Illegal immigrants," because they speak Spanish.
It's interesting to note that I never heard Tancredo mention his grandparents before. I wonder if he got the idea after Geraldo Rivera brought the subject up and shamed him about them in this video.
My grandparents came to America in 1915. The ONLY reason I don't speak Italian at all is because of the intense racism that they were subjected to. PERIOD. For years, I would ask my mother why I couldn't speak Italian when I was a kid because I thought it would have been an important language skill to possess and I was proud of my family's heritage. Finally, when I was a teenager she told me. I find it hard to believe that Tancredo's grandparents weren't subjected to that same racism. This is what makes Tancredo all the more loathsome. My relatives would hang out during holidays speaking in Italian because it came natural to them, as it should. What kind of America would we have without the melding of our cultures? It's one I certainly wouldn't want.
Now Tancredo says the other GOP candidates are pandering...
"It is the law that to become a naturalized citizen of this country you must have knowledge and understanding of English, including a basic ability to read, write, and speak the language," Tancredo said, in a press release e-mailed by his campaign to reporters. "So what may I ask are our presidential candidates doing participating in a Spanish speaking debate? Pandering comes to mind."
"America has been a melting pot of people from all over the world but it can not survive as a nation if our immigrants do not assimilate. A common language is essential to that goal. Bilingualism is a great asset for any individual but it has perilous consequences for a nation. As such, a Spanish debate has no place in a presidential campaign."
I'd say the country has been doing fine all these years and have found no evidence of any "perilous consequences," because of bilingualism except the fact that I had to study a language in HS and then take tests on what I learned...
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There is NO law, whatsoever, that recognizes English as the official language of the United States. It just so happens that the majority speak it and it has become the most POPULAR language in the U.S..
Law? What law? This guy needs to go back to grade school. Another asswipe pandering to his racist, pieces of s**t supporters.
exactly. when was this law passed? it never was although many wish it had been. This man is an ass.
Tancredo's so stupid he even refuse to learn a few words of Yiddish!
And he calls himself an American Politician!
How the hell does he expect to win without at least learning 'Putz', and 'Eisl',
and 'Gefilte Fish', and 'Lox'?
What a narisch goyim!
Boy, did Geraldo suck you in.
He had no grandparents.
wow! that interview alone should have him looking for a job elsewhere
The guy is a self-loathing bastard, we all know this. Notice it's a defense mechanism with all of these GOP-hypocrite types: I hate gays, even though I'm gay, I hate adulterers, even though I am one, etc.
It's terrible that you were not allowed to learn Italian. The problem with this is that people who are told they cannot speak their own language or religion, eventually believe all the crap that's being fed to them and start hating themselves for what they are.
This asshole will not get any votes as long as he realizes that whether he likes it or not, people from other cultures and languages are registered to vote. I'm Puerto Rican, born, raised, living in Puerto Rico, and Spanish is my primary language, so this pendejo can go straight to el carajo.
The only good thing to come out of this is that most people will see this racist jerk as for what he is.
Bravo Tancredo for Boycotting this, after all, im sure with his numbers he can afford to miss any publicity...............
See black people don't have this problem. You know, where after a couple generations your children become sycophantic whitebread Republicans who forget where they came from...just kidding. Condi, Powell, Thomas.
No hablo Tancredo.
Sorry guys. I'm usually right there with you, but Tommy is right in this instance, and the candidates who participate in this debate ARE pandering.
Oh for Chrissakes don't tell me this guy is a "uniter not a divider" too.
Pinche Pendejo!!!
Sig Heil Tom! I'm sure you're parents are still loyal to Mussolini.
Peope actually watch this shit?
"AHHHHHHHH!!!! Brown people!" This would be hilarious if it weren't so sad....
:(
But Univision is conservative, or so I thought.
I was in the crowd at a SF pro-war demonstration (it's fun to watch and argue). At some point--
leaders: "do we watch CNN?"
crowd: "NOOOOOO!"
"Who do we watch?"
"FOX NEWS!"
"And Univision!"
"WHA?????"
"No, really, they are here in support of our rally!"
"Oh okay. Yay univision!"
tools.
I wish my parents had taught me more of the language that they learned to speak from their immigrant parents.... now that tongue is lost to me forever. Such a shame that in America, we don't respect other languages or the cultures that they come from.
No, pandering is where you'll do or say anything for a corporation or voting block, regardless of your beliefs for a few more bucks or votes.
Introducing yourself and educating the electorate, in a way which makes you accessible to them, and at same time allows them to become enfranchises in the national debate is both part of democratic process and is SMART.
Ignoring said group because they talk funny is xenophobic and racist. it also is scape goating, which in self has long been political pandering through out this nations history AGAIN and AGAIN. Ask the Irish, Italians, Polish, Japanese and Chinese etc , etc.
The only difference here is the Hispanics are a larger voting block than any of those groups, which makes them scary to white men
Does Tancredo even have a shot? Why even give him attention at all?
cg @ 19:
My guess would be further exposing the right wing for what it is and he is an elected representative, so....
The transcript is wrong. Tancredo says "My grandparents, when they came here. They would not let my PARENTS speak italian".
There is no 'they' that forced his grandparents to speak English. The criticisms in the original post are invalid
McMike @ 16:
That's what I thought, my perception of Univision is that it is FoxNews, with all their beautiful bimbo head babes, except its produced, narrated, and aired by and for brown people.
Btw, John Amato:
Nice post! Very passionate. Bolstered by personal experience.
Bravo!
Tancredo will most likely be one of many Republicans running as Independents this next election cycle. I say the more the merrier.
Im surprised any of the republcian candidates are taking part in this debate. It could make them look like therye for illegal immigration and against 'english only'. Those are two killer issues in a republican party primary. They actually may be bad in the general election too.
The issue is its 'spanish language', so Im assuming it will be translated?. If it was english language for hispanic people that'd be different.
Not all Hispanics are illegals. I would love someone to tell him that Puerto Ricans (the island being a U.S. commonwealth) conducts all official business in Spanish. My birth certificate for examples has English subtitles; I bet he'll flip his lid. But sure, let everyone only speak one language in this country, while the rest of world encourages multilingualism in grade school - where science has proven that the earlier one is introduced to a foreign language, the faster and better they will learn it - because they know that a person that speaks more than one language is worth more as an employee. When we find ourselves worse off economically globally, we can pin the blame on the next 'it' race.
Oh racists idiots, I loved when I got my promotion that they complained because I was a minority, and not because I speak 5 languages fluently and a currently studying for a 6th.
Both of my mother's parents moved to the United States from Nova Scotia. I wish that I could go back there. The two places that I've wanted to move to have very stringent immigration policies, New Zealand and Canada. It's not that I necessarily want to abandon America; I've wanted to try living in those place for a long time, they're beautiful.
I wonder about lefties.
And righties.
Who seeks and wants truth?
Just a question from an old guy who hates both parties,
Mr. Tancredo is free to participate or not; his reasoning for not participating are rather nonsensical and pathetic, to say the least. His comments not precisely what one would expect from a senator; on the other hand, surprises, however disagreeable are part of life. It is quite possible that as he hates Hispanics, he has no idea, that many of us, are educated, here and abroad, hold good jobs, speak several languages, take our civic duties very seriously, pay our taxes, are not looking for hand-outs and are respected members of the community; was forgetting, either when we retire or even before that, we volunteer, and no, we do not ask what race the person/group belongs to, because we realize that we all, including mr. Tancredo, belong to the HUMAN RACE and refuse to be put in boxes!!!!
it's just going to take some time to shovel all the shit bigots and racists out of the govt.
too bad we have to tolerate them, but then it's America. at least it used to be.
I find it hard to believe that Tancredo’s grandparents weren’t subjected to that same racism. This is what makes Tancredo all the more loathsome.
John, this is yet another instance of right wingers failing to connect their policies to their experiences, like Cheney's gay daughter or the Bush daughters' drug problems. I remember when Dan Quayle told Larry King that abortion would be alright if his daughter got raped. Next day, his wife held a presser saying Dan misspoke. As always, it's alright if a Republican does it.
Congressman Trancredo is a refreshing voice of bigotry. When you listen to him you know without any doubt that you are listening to a racist bigot. He is straight forward about it. That is why I like to have at least one person being honest about what they are saying. Most of the other politicians and many of the so called media people try to sugar coat the shite they are putting out there. Not Tom! He is honestly a bigot a racist and a hate monger. The real question is why there are so many people who are hate mongers and racists who elect these people to congress? What is wrong with the USA? It is a very sick country. Liars, crooks - that pretty much constitutes all that we have in DC at this moment. There are so few examples to the contrary that they prove the rule.
Well, Tancredo is a lucky prick that at least his grandparents were allowed into this country, unlike his attitude toward immigrants. I despise these self-loathing purveyors of racism, pandering to the lowest common denominator of humanity.
My grandmother, a white Baptist to the core, was also racist. My father married my mother while he was stationed overseas, and my grandmother never got over it. Although my mother is fair-skinned, my grandmother initially referred to my mother as "that Italian n***er." Eventually she became a bit more tolerant, but not much, and she never accepted blacks as equal, much to my dismay and sorrow.
I'm proud that I'm Sicilian, and I wish my mother had persisted in teaching her children Italian. We were just all too obstinate :)
I hope the Hispanic community is watching this closely........so there can be no doubt.Tancredo is being very vocal about the Immigration issue.....they all feel the same way...make no mistake about it.
I can't stand Tancredo, but on this I agree with him (in the words of Studs Terkel, "If the communists are against cancer, does that make them wrong?")
Lookit, if you're having a debate for the presidency of the United States, the language of the nation is English. Have it in English. And if you're trying to be a part of the United States of America, the official language of business, of airport traffic controllers, banking, credit card terms, etc. -- is English. Not German. Not French. Not Spanish. Not Portugese. Not Ductch. E-N-G-L-I-S-H.
Let's flip it -- if I move to Mexico and I'm interested in understanding the candidates for the presidency of Mexico, am I going to kick and whine because they won't speak English. Of course not -- that would be immature.
Tancreepo makes my skin crawl. However, he is a poster boy for GOP intolerance and should be viewed as a teaching tool of why not to vote for Republicans.
This is what the GOP has come to. They don't even try to hide their racism anymore.
as for the language thing....It's common courtesy to try to speak the language of the country you're in...at least that's the way I see it.And if you intend to stay and live in that country...and you refuse to learn the language.....that's just being downright RUDE.
What the hell is the United States becoming when there is no real outrage over his bigoted remarks? And where is the Latino uproar?
Who is Tancredo fooling speaking in such an affected manner? Why is he being taken seriously?
So many questions and not enough answers.
.
Umm…
So it’s perfectly acceptable to use religion in measuring a person’s character, as a qualifying factor to become the president (A TEST) - but it’s not acceptable to mingle with dark skinned people?
Tancredo’s view of America is a perverted view. Nay, an UNAMERICAN view. He’d rather forgo his ancestry to be able to join an ideology based on supremacy of body color and belief in spirit.
I deeply question his ability to faithfully PROTECT and PRESERVE the Constitution of the U.S.A.
.
As an immigrant and son of immigrants (who had to learn the language) I'm opposed to injecting Spanish into the public domain. Private business no problem, this is a "free country", put up your store front sign in any language you choose. Public business ... on the tax payer dime... English only.
AA64 @ 21:
Also, no one forced his grandparents to get on the ship and leave their beloved Italy for a far and away place.
I guess the irony of the fact that he is from a state named Colorado, which is Spanish for "red," must have flown over Tancredo's feeble little mind... here is a hint, there are far more people who descend from Ute-Aztec or Mexican stock in Colorado than there are whiteys of the Italian persuasion, wonder why? Hum....
i'm sorry ancestors but i'm still p.o. ed at you all because i wasn't brought up knowing how to speak: german, welsh and dutch--i'll forgive cherokee -- well sort of. but point is if you have a family history you should teach all of it to your kids and grandkids.
think how much better off this guy might have been if he'd been multilingual.
wonder if gwb2 would be better off if he was lingual?
Mudshark, does this mean that if I live in the U.S. I can't even speak Spanish in my own home? Is that what that means?!?
Wilfredo @ 44:
c'mon....this is a ridiculous question.
Tancredo doesn't speak English; he speaks Gibberish.
Tancredo is playing to his base.
All politicians do this.
Question: Which candidates, R or D, in their heart, want what's best for America?
GreyGhost @ 41:
First off, a lot of people who speak the Queen's English may object to call what is spoken by a majority of Americans as English. If English is such a priority to you, at least you would learn to spell things correctly (colour vs. color and other lazy spellings for example :-) ).
Also for you consideration, a lot of those Taxpayers, in states like California for example... not only speak Spanish as their first language but they can trace their Spanish speaking roots in that area to times where English was nowhere to be heard in the state. Since they also pay taxes, I assume they can also have a similar thesis and make a case for the fact that English has no business to be used in places paid for on their dime... After all they were there first, and it is you the rude one for not wanting to learn the language spoken in the area. See there are two sides to a coin... :-)
If you check some of the state constitutions in South Western states (like California) they are written in both languages, and in some places they recognize both Spanish and English (in that order and it is no coincidence) as somewhat official languages. Here is a hint, there were plenty of brown Spanish speaking people populating the South West for quite a while before pale faces speaking a bad version of the Queen's English showed up and took over their lands.
In any case, no one is forcing you to read the pamphlets in Spanish, you have plenty of English forms (in fact all of them are in English) and you just have to press an extra number when calling a state agency, I guess that it is just too much for some of your to press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish. The outrage! Who dare those people speaking Spanish who want to conduct their business in the language spoken before you arrived to waste those precious 0.0001 calories and 0.1 seconds of your time needed to press that button!
Like Chris Rock said: Black people had to put up with slavery for hundreds of years, yet White people have had to "suffer" affirmative action for less than 3 decades and they can't stop bitching and moaning.
Why does no one care that the original post calls Tancredo a "jackass" for something he didn't even say? If a conservative website
attacked a Democrat after misquoting him, you guys would be all over them!!
John,
Absolutely wonderful post. One side of my family came to America during the first World War and on the other side they arrived just before WW II. Both sides came from areas of Germany and what was then known as Prussia and parts of Denmark.
Speaking German was an embarrassment on so many levels that the German language was not something passed down through the generations.
It is truly sad that this very young country made up of so many, many different nationalities literally lost it's original multi-lingual tongue at the check-point in Staten Island due to embarrassment and fear.
And let's not forget the original genocide and corralling into camps or reservations of the original Americans that occurred in order for us all to get to the supposedly glorious apex and now the downfall of the world's first democracy and newest fascist superpower gone bad. All in little over 200 years.
What this really comes down to is Tancredo's demand that people who come to the US have to give up their culture and meld into the American Culture. I am still trying to figure out what the American Culture is. Is it going golfing and watching horse jumping? Or is it palying really loud rap music in you tricked out car with spinning hubcaps? Maybe it is running your kids around to soccer practice, play dates and psychiatrists. It could be tearing apart internal combustion engines, rebuilding them and running off to the drag races. Then again it could be playing the lotto and going to the track or terrifying women seeking abortions and giving all your money to a Mega Church. In any case, i have not yet figured it out and i was born here.
Tancredo has his success because Americans have always been a xenophobic and ignorant population. Isolated as we are geographically and historically founded on the precepts of white domination and bigotry (used to justify acts of imperialism and murder). Since the benefactors historically of oppression, murder and mayhem have been white males, is it any wonder that there are still predominantly white people who cling to this? There is this contingent of persons whose entire identity seems to have melded with the fairy tale, third grade propaganda called national history. Unable I think, to grasp the more complicated and varied path of humanity, they prefer to promote card board charactures in the belief that it worked a long time ago and will work today.
The lie is that racism and misogyny never worked for anyone, it is founded on the idea that scarce resources should be controlled by a select few by violence and oppression and any other means possible, with dehumanization of the demonic 'other' as part of the game.
That is the only way I can understand why people ever would vote for Tancredo or listen to his tripe or tolerate the direct misogyny directed at H. Clinton (i.e., Chris Matthews); its acceptable as a way of life for a small but vocal portion of this country. Unfortunately there is a larger majority that seems to fear standing up to these bullies, which is too bad because silence aids and legitimizes their continued pressure for everyone else to conform to their narrow view of the world.
The spanish speaking part of this country is sharp and strong and I'm sure they will take note of Tancredo, if they haven't already. Go ahead you fool, preach your hate and see how many show up to your church of hell!
What else can he run on? The Republicans have driven the economy into the ground. bin Laden is laughing at us because this Administration can't catch him. The mission is NOT accomplished. They controlled the most corrupt Congress in the history of the Republic. And a bunch of Family Values Republicans have been caught in "wide stances." Racism is the only card they have in their deck.
Piehole @ 35:
The entire Univisión debate is in English. The same as the democratic version, though at least two of the democrats (Richardson and Dodd) are fluent in Spanish. Richardson even had his knuckles rapped for breaking into Spanish at one point.
Also, the previous Univisión debate has been one of the highest rated so far, especially so in the key 25-54 demographic.
Wilfredo @ 44:
no it does not mean that...what it means is....if you're well versed in a countries language....then you open yourself to more opportunities...but if people don't even try to learn and speak the language...that's either being lazy or rude.When I'm in Mexico,I try to speak Spanish...and with the help of nice people there..I get by.
The Dude @ 48:
How many people in England...or Britain as a whole speak the Queens English?
xoites defends Constitution @ 51:
I think Superbowl sunday sums it all up.
America is very isolated from the world as far as travel goes and anything else. Everyone speaks English, including Canada. Not very diverse in comparison to the rest of the globe to say the least. Most people on the planet are actually bi-lingual with exclusion of the U.S. of A.
If you travel to Europe you will find that many if not most of the Western European countries are required to learn English or German or another language as a second language.
Why?
Because the minute they travel a distance equivalent to driving from Wisconsin to Ohio there is another language afoot. English is the international language for now.
Perhaps not in the near future. Chinese could be something that is forced to catch on due to necessity. Or Spanish. Or whatever fills the void.
Yet because English is spoken by Africans, Middle Easterners, and all over the world as a connective way to talk..that all seems far away.
The purely ARROGANT manner that untraveled Americans are demanding one language is the purely obvious death of ingenuity that we like to pride ourselves on but have failed and flailed on for years now.
The best hope for this country is reliant on the openness and diversity that allows it to exist.
WAKE THE FUCK UP PEOPLE.
English should be taught in schools so this doesn't become mini-countries within itself yet an openness to to Spanish especially is essential.
Rich, fat old white men: GET A CLUE.
Or choke on your own bile.
The Dude @ 48:
Glad I spelled correctly on my post.
I have no problem selecting 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, 3,4,5... from a PRIVATE entity. From a public entity I should then, according to your logic have the choice of any and all languages on the planet.
you know what Dude,why don't you go back one more....to the Native Americans in the SouthWest....your point is lost in a shuffle through history.
ok....when are candidates gonna show up on chinese, japanese, russian or the myriad of other foreign language tv stations???
gotta go with tom on this...it is pandering
if i move to france, will i get to hear the candidates there debate in english?
beware a bilingual society....for more info, turn to canada
uncle Joe McCarthy @ 61:
It hasn't been all that long ago that the consensus cultural norms of this country would have been all that was needed to keep a twisted cockroach like Tancredo from ever airing his rascist, bigoted believes in public, for fear of certain universal condemnation. How far we have sunk.
Uncle Joe,
Canada? Give me a break. There is a long history there and if you are comparing the idea of Quebec succeeding, you scare me.
Look at the history of California and be very afraid in that case.
Paul @ 63:
Exactly.
uncle joe mccarthy @ 61:
We are a language, history, theology and geography ignorant society. Our strengths are shopping and building and using weapons.
Freya @ 66:
110% off-topic: Guitar Hero fan?
cg @ 68:
Guess you should have directed that at Paul.
Freya @ 65:
please explain your view of Calif history.....I'm curious as to what you mean by that part of your comment.
Tancredo is obviously an illegal alien. No REAL American could butcher the English language as he does
But hey cg, keep plunking away at your Winger opus.
Uncle Joe,
Are you serious? If you need to understand the history of California and the American acquisition of land...yikes.
Freya @ 73:
That was me who asked the question Freya....but while we're speaking of land acquisition......"The Conquistadors"...you know the Spanish speading religion and murdering Native American tribes all through Calif.True...Monterey Calif WAS the capitol of Mexico...but before the Spanish came...................Native American Indians...and the same can be said for Mexico...Native Mexican Indians...........I forget what Mexico was called way back then.....North America?
Tancredo is mentally ill, it is so obvious when watching the debates. Who cares what he thinks? Enough said.
Many apologies to Uncle Joe for my confusion with Mudshark.
Namaste.
Mudshark,
There is no doubt you are correct about the colonizing ways of the Spaniards. Yet the colonizing ways of the Americans is what stands to be dissected now.
"Sample U.S. History and Government Questions and Answers: A list of sample U.S. history and government questions for naturalization test preparation. The document is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese."
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7...
Americans should keep in mind that its much easier for a native English speaker to learn Spanish than the vice versa. English is one of the most difficult languages to learn - pronunciation, grammar, idioms, and depth of vocabulary are more challenging than most other languages. We often forget this because English is ubiquitous anywhere in the world. Whenever you confront a native Spanish speaker struggling with English, be kind.
The world is consolidating around 4 languages - English, Spanish, Mandarin and Arabic. For the English speaker, Spanish is by far the easiest to learn. All the whining about nationalism and language is our sorry reality. The truth, is a more billingual nation would boost national productivity and everyone would be better off. Unfortunately, people cannot see past their foolish pride. Europeans live in an environment of dozens of nearby languages - hard to select a second language if not English. In the U.S., Spanish as a second language is the overwhelming choice - this is an opportunity. The reason billgingualism in Canada does not work great is because all the French speaking happens in a certain geographic region. This is not the case with Spanish in the U.S.
Freya @ 76:
but if you're going to look at it from a historical perspective.....you can't ignore the historical facts.....just sayin.
John,
While I am not a fan in the least of Tancredo, I would not that the reason you do not speak Italian is that it requires effort. My wife barely speaks her parents native tongue and I do not \speak my grandparent's language either. Yes he is stupid and this is just a blip where we either become a bilingual country or assimilate the Spanish speakers. But to blame it on racism is crazy. If you want a better example of assimilation look to the German speakers who up until WW I were actually a majority in this country (also speaking English). Rapidly after the war they stopped speaking the mother tongue.
Oh and tell Nicole to learn English, A historic not "an".
So by participating in an English-speaking debate, you are thereby pandering to those who speak the English language? FOR SHAME, CANDIDATES!
It is amazing that preferring one European language to the other means you are racist. We need to stop throwing the word racist or racism around when we run out of arguments about something. It's petty, and it makes that word weak when referring to real racists.
It should be that the only reason for encouraging immigrants to learn and use the language of the land in their public affairs is because that language, whatever it is, is the language by which the nation's business is conducted. That language thus becomes a tool and means of succeeding in the new land, and it facilitates the most rapid path to intgration into the new home. Learning the language and using it would thus be an assistance to the immigrant. From this perspective and approach, such learning and use would be culture neutral. The immigrant's native culture would in no way be diminished; it could still be lived and celbrated. The process of learning whatever is the language of the land could then be described as an act of participating in, and being welcomed into, the inclusiveness of community.
Tancredo, on the other hand, is pushing language as a means to stoke bigotry and racism. This goes above and beyond mere pandering to existing rascists and bigots across the country. His intent requires that English be used as a weapon of assimilation instead of an open doorway of integration into the new community. That may be a fine distinction, but assimilation requires that one's native culture, which is invariably a large part of one's identity as a human being, be abandoned and suppressed. Immigrants would become less that what they were. He seeks to diminish and degrade, and cares nothing about helping others to succeed or become members of our national family. He seeks to maintain and broaden divisions, and "language" becomes a code word for racist disunity. His intent is exclusion. Tancredo is demonstrating not only his inner degradation, which arose(amongst other reasons) because he is a pathetic and willful bigot, he is also proving his untrustworthiness: he is a manipulator who manipulates by appealing to people's lowest natures. Tancredo is unworthy of any position of influence or power.
Just my opinion.
AAwww, how sad. Tancredo is too latin to join the KKK.
In my neck of South Texas there are thousands of Spanish speaking families whose ancestors were here before it became part of the United States Mr. Tancredo.
robomace @ 82:
What's amazing is you failing to grasp the context in which this is said. THAT is astonishing. You're either clueless, or very smart. Either way, it's insulting. Go patronize someone who's willing to listen to your nonsense.
Freya @ 63:
mudshark @ 79:
indeed the Spaniard colonized the south west..including Calif...all the way to just past SF...and the Russians colonized Alaska south.....so if we're to make an arguement that the white folks stole Calif from the Mexicans...that would be misleading.....The Spaniards stole Mexico...from the indigenous Indians..who are still treated like dirt to this very day.
Freya @ 73:
yup...america either stole, bought or won through battles most of its land
yup...many of the natives of california were speaking spanish before the white man came
therefore what???
we werent having debates in spanish until the last election cycle
i believe bush was the first to put out spanish language campaign ads
we arent talking the historical hispanics here...we are talking newly immigrated....or should i say...newly illegally immigrated
i work alongside mexican americans whose families have been here for generations....they dont need to watch a debate in spanish...they are more american than i am
oh and just so you know...it was Secretary of State Seaward who purchased Alaska from the Russians.........I think it was for 2 million....
uncle joe mccarthy @ 89:
the thing that puzzles me is.....some Mexican Americans are republican??????? I'll never figure that one out.
Uncle Joe.....me thinks you might want to go back to #74/76....
uncle joe mccarthy @ 89:
therefore what? study some history and then answer yourself. find out what was promised in the treaty the mexican signed, regarding language use in the areas once known as Mexico's land. jeez. ignorance on pride parade.
--
and @ 88: "ndeed the Spaniard colonized the south west..including Calif…all the way to just past SF…and the Russians colonized Alaska south…..so if we’re to make an arguement that the white folks stole Calif from the Mexicans…that would be misleading…..The Spaniards stole Mexico…from the indigenous Indians..who are still treated like dirt to this very day."
"if we're going to make the argument"? the USA did steal California. Or at least if you oppose Iraq, you sort of already oppose the Invasion of Mexico by the USA, because it is the rough equivalent, re casus belli for others resources, etc. The Mexicans of today, more importantly, are descended from the Spaniards AND the Indians!
people really shouldn't be enjoining this talk with so much passion until they study just a tad of history! man. its frustrating.
Believe it or not, I don't speak Swedish because of bigotry. My father was of Dutch (Fries) and German heritage and got upset when he learned my mother was teaching me Swedish. So she stopped. My loss. It's much harder to learn another language when you're an adult. When I was in high school I was a waitress part time. I didn't realize the elderly Indians didn't speak English until then. The younger ones interpreted for them. So English isn't the native language in the U.S. Frankly, I think kids should be taught English and another language in early grade school. We're pretty ignorant here. I've been working on Spanish (Castellano). At least with the influx of Mexicans, Central and South Americans, it's worth learning because now you can hear it and practice it right here at home. I don't understand why people like Tancredo wallow in ignorance.
nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez @ 93:
is that why the Mexican Indian is still by far...the most poor people in Mexico?and where did you get Invasion of Mexico from.....geeezzz...that must of hurt pulling that one out of your ass.....
Regarding some of the comments above: Here in Minneapolis, our transit system gives instructions in English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali. How's that for a combination?
Are welfare checks bi-lingual?
Oh God.
Glad to have started a huge disruption. :(
I'm not saying in any way that life in Los Angeles is great. Not by a long shot. And by the way, I HATE the disconnect of traveling around that megalopolis from hell and not feeling a part of things or even that there is any sense of community from a few miles to a few miles.
Any Los Angeleno knows this feeling.
That's why the movie Crash resonated so hard with the few who really got it and that's probably folks from huge metropolitan hodge podges or melting pots like New York or L.A. or ex pats. When I saw Crash and the movie Babel, I really, really felt that I got it. Maybe that's because I travel a lot and have my main residency in L.A. and have held residencies in many countries and feel a sympathy with the outsider so deeply.
Although I certainly hate the feeling of being an outsider in my own zip code, I also realize that it's just that way..
Do you think you are going to change it? If so, HOW?
yeah the US did take Calif.....but to ignore the fact the Spaniards stole it as well is willfull ignorance....so I guess it's ok for the Spaniards......it was never theirs to begin with....those are historical facts...you can rewrite history if you want...but it won't change it.
mudshark @ 39:
Yes I agree, BUT, in the USA it matters not what language anyone speaks, this language issue is just something people pick on to hide their racism: I'm not a racist, they should just speak English........horsefeathers! I've seen it - heard it before, you don't want to say I don't like non-whites - don't want to say I'm really a racist, so I'll say I think should speak English and pretend that's what it's about. Given the proper incentives new-comers will learn the language if they believe it will benefit them and their families. But if all they ever hear are racist slurs along with not being allowed to have enough time to learn the language and learn the customs, the eagerness to assimilate is beaten out of them almost from day one. They learn very early on that they will not be accepted no matter what language they speak.
Most other countries on the planet pride themselves on their citizens' diversity and language abilities.........not so in the USA....why......generally it is a racist society.........the way I see it.
Miami a 3rd world country?! I want to live in 3rd world countries then! Miami rocks!!
Well Mudshark,
You are talking into oblivion. I remember the day I gave up on defending our American historical perspective and it was a cold day in hell. Nothing for me has ever been the same since. I realized that humans are humans and we all live under a group of people who tell us what do think and do. Something I thought America was supposed to have uprised against and continued on with in its psychology.
I was living in Europe and 22 and I started using the internet to investigate things I was never taught in highschool. It took about two to three months to know my whole world was tipped over on its head.
America is not special. It can only be special if we do something.
So far, we are not.
If you only had Hannity's audio on the second clip, it'd sum up his whole style perfectly:
'I'm making a false claim. Now I'm drawing a tenuous conclusion based on that false claim. Now I'm expanding that already laughable claim to encompass all brown people. You're response?
No. No. No. NO! Not true. No. You're wrong. YOU ARE WRONG. No. NO. NO!
Ok, I have to interrupt you to respond.
Now I'm restating my original false claim that you just debunked, because I probably didn't hear anything you said because I was shouting 'no' the whole time. Not that'd I'd acknowledge your point if I'd heard it. Now I'm sucking up to GW Bush.
Thank you for letting me yell at you on the air. I'll just insinuate that you're a wuss here real quick, and cut to commercial while you're smiling and hoping it's a joke. We'll be back after these messages."
While I don't agree with him boycotting the debate, it is true that back when our grandparents came to this country they made sure that their children learned English. We did not cater to every foreign language speaking person who came into this country and they learned the language quickly. One of the problems is that we print everything in several languages, we give every student a teacher who teaches in their language. Oftentimes this means that the person who is not an English speaking American Citizen or Immigrant is using more resources than our children. Our English speaking students are oftentimes shoved into overcrowded classrooms while the children who do not speak English can be in small classes, at times only one person to a teacher. That is an outrageous waste of our resources. If we did not pander in this fashion they would learn the language quickly but as it is they don't have to so they won't.
I am all for helping others, but not at the expense of our citizens and taxpayers. Our children could be getting a better education if we weren't filling our schools with special teachers for the few who do not speak English.
Freya @ 102:
I was refering to a post made by Mr Jonez...and for the rest of your comment....agreed.....people have been invading and conquering since the beginning of time...it wasn't right then and it isn't right now.....but this arguement about Calif in particular...well.....some people like to forget some of histories quirks.....like the Conquistadors
John,
I don't understand why you say "[t]he ONLY reason I don’t speak Italian at all is because of the intense racism that they were subjected to. PERIOD." I understand that you didn't speak it at home (or were literally not allowed, it's not clear from your post), but... I mean, AFAIK you're a grown man now. I had, like, one aunt and uncle that spoke dialect - everyone else was English only (and more than a few were Tancredoesque Italian-American bigots of which the Delaware Valley has in great number). I started learning Italian in college and take the occasional night class - I guarantee you it is something that is in your grasp. Sure, we missed an advantage that should have been our birthright, but it's totally overcome-able.
I'm not trying to be a dick here, but "the ONLY reason... PERIOD" just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don't get it.
mudshark,
yup.
Maybe that is what is wrong with this country today everybody speaks in a different language. When my parents came to this country they learned English because they proud to be American`s. Today people are not like that, today when people come from differ countries they want to change America into there old country.
WIDEPART @ 100:
go to any country..anyone you choose that doesn't speak english....
and stay for a few months...do not try to speak the language..speak only english..and see what happens.....
Paul,
I love you for your frank talk.
Oh and by the by, My aunt in Israel speaks three languages, Hebrew, Arabic and English.
mudshark @ 109:
WIDEPART @ 111:
did you forget something?
Metroplexual says that German speakers "up until WW I were actually a majority in this country," I'm not sure that that's the case, even if you include the bilingual German/English speakers. However, in parts of Illinois, they were a sizable minority and the century-long history of German-speaking churches (1830s - 1940s) attests to that. The rapid decline in German language use between WW I and WW II was perhaps a natural phenomenon; it was however hastened along by social pressure and (during WW I) mob violence.
Iz @ 108:
English is not just a spoken language, it is also a written language. And a beautiful one at that. Perhaps you should go learn how to write the language before you criticize others for not speaking it.
uncle joe mccarthy,
A lot of us who frequent the Crooks and Liars website know how much you care about Israel.
I'm sure you must be greatly heartened to come to realization that Israel needs to rely on its bilingual status for obvious reasons.
Happy Hanukkah, my friend. :)
:)
i'll cut the old coot some slack, he probably had no idea where he was as it was past his bedtime.
see ya Freya,be well.
I wish for Tancredo to win the Repub nomination.
Put the racist streak in the conservative movement front-and-center. And watch it sink their presidential prospects for a generation.
Iz @ 108:
Huh?
The United States is one of the most - if not the most - monolingual countries in the world. Find me another place on the planet where you can drive fifty-five hundred kilometers completely innocent of any language but your own. Most of my Italian relatives speak at least one foreign language, the local dialect, and standard Italian. I know Americans that can't understand people speaking English with an accent.
I mean, come on. You think of linguistic ignorance as a positive quality?
So he's bashed another hole in his already sinking ship? Who cares!
Let the xenophobic, racist rat filth drown! And he can take his
non English speaking, immigrant grand mother with him...the hypocrite!
Why don't you just start burning crosses and wear your white robe and hat
at your appearances and rallies from now on Tancredo?!
A boycott is a great idea. We should all boycott brian dead news shows with brain dead hosts.
Where is Henry Rollins with his "shut the f*ck up!" when you need him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgSBhlw-o9E <-...we need more of this
Presumably some errors are just typos (ideas are flowing faster than fingers can type) and we must show some degree of understanding. On the other hand, the announcements at airports that are broadcasted in several languages, make sense, considering that tourism is a reality, hence that should be applauded not criticized. I find laughable, not to say absurd, such instances when referring to a Hispanic person, either by ignorance or worst, the description is "brown"; wonder if some of these people have seen a map of the world, have noticed that Spain is in Europe, that many, many people in this continent, have Spanish ancestry, in some cases, also Italianancestry, toname a few, and yes, some have indigenous ancestry, and no matter what, one is always proud of his/her ancestry? Yes, manners will dictate speaking the language and learning the ways of the country one has chosen to live in. That, however does not mean, putting up with bigotry, sarcastic comments, blanket insulting statements, which must not and will never be accepted, because such attitudes, comments, etc., are not and do not reflect what this great country is all about.
Fritz @ 121:
Are'nt you thrilled Archie Bunker is running for president? You filthy, narrow minded racists are sickening. Bet it broke your heart when the Third Reich went down.
Fritz @ 121:
Is the pro-illegal alien agenda a part of the homosexual agenda, or is it more closely related to the islamofascist agenda?
It must be tough being a rich white suburbanite these days. Between having to cope with the onslaught of illegal aliens taking up all those positions for picking up cherries for under minimum wage that are so sought after, all those uppity black people wanting to have access to things like education an decent starts in life (and who are joining the women in their efforts to not shut up and just do as they are told), and all those homosexuals pointing guns at the poor married straight men so they have no choice but cheat and treat their spouses like crap so that they live in miserable marriages whose sanctity is then soiled by those same homosexuals wanting to have a joint future with their loved ones.
No one can understand the burden that it is to be a rich white Christian suburbanite... being the majority and having a society that caters to 90% of their needs and whims must be tough... that 10% that they have to put up with must be a cross to heavy to carry. Jesus had it easy in comparison!
Thank you Geraldo! By standing up to Tancredo and Hannity as well as your earlier and very courageous fight with Bill O'Reilly you have shown that you still retain a sense of decency and compassion in spite of working for Fox "News"!
Tancredo and his Pajamas Media eugenicist fanbase can go to Hell
Quick someone tell me, what race speaks Spanish? Careful it is a trick question.
Tancredo is correct, there is an English proficiency requirement to become a citizen.
Carry on.
mudshark @ 109:
mudshark @ 112:
Mudshark; I said I agree, I think it is RUDE, and I have travelled extensively in non English speaking countries and stayed for many months, many times..........but when I arrived and moved in, the locals welcomed me, they didn't pick on me because I was english speaking, they accepted me and gave me time to acclimatize to both language and local customs and because I WAS welcomed, and not pissed on instantly it was my inducement to learn as much of the local language as I could as soon as I could because it was to MY advantage. That was my point, acceptance rather than systemic put-down to me as a foreigner that proved to me that it would be a good thing to learn what I could. I must say, that if the locals had started off by pissing on me as soon as I arrived my attitude would be quite different, I don't think that I would be in any hurry to learn how to better communicate with people you appeared to dislike me without knowing me........why would I bother......at this point I would look for more of my countrymen to associate with and the locals be damned..........BUT in all my 64 years and in all my travels I have been accepted in every country I visited.......welcomed......given time and help to learn their ways. OH, I come from a country with TWO OFFICIAL languages. And that is another story for another time.
mudshark @ 109:
go to any country..anyone you choose that doesn't speak english....
and stay for a few months...do not try to speak the language..speak only english..and see what happens.....
You mean like all those ex-pats in Panama and Costa Rica, they love it down there... and plenty of them couldn't speak Spanish if their lives depended on it. Projection is usually not a productive way of proving anything. Just because you have a problem with people not speaking your own language, doesn't meant that the rest of the world is made up of similar assholes to you.
Also remember that places like California, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Puerto Rico, full of cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Cruzes, San Antonio, San Francisco, Orlando, Santa Cruz, Pueblo, etc, etc... all those places did not chose to move into the US of A, OK? So it all depends on perspective. You may see illegals crossing the border, native Mexicans may see that the border crossed them. If we want to talk about illegal immigration, we can check who had their roots in this continent before and who came uninvited, shall we?
Also the US, has right now over a quarter of a million illegal immigrants (adding contractors probably closer to half a million count) in a country like Iraq, so if we normalize both populations we may see that we are actually one of the countries with more illegal immigrants somewhere else. Thus the gall of some Americans to complain about illegal immigration, be it that this country was/is made up of immigrants for the most part. The only natives being the native American Indians and Mexicans --who are now considered illegals, ain't that a bitch.
So it takes a special set of brass balls for a white American to complain about illegal immigration... at least Mexicans just cross the border peacefully, I wonder what would happen if they learn from our own playbook and decide to add "shock and awe" to their immigration approaches....
What a jackass statement from C's and L's: "...My relatives would hang out during holidays speaking in Italian because it came natural to them, as it should." Not that I agree with Sen. Tancredo on some issues (but he's 100 percent correct, to this life-long liberal, on illegal immigration), but did he say that his family didn't speak Italian when in their comfort of their own or relatives' homes?
Geez, find some cheese to hang onto before slamming politicians over things they haven't said and that don't exist.
Mike @ 128:
Perhaps the thousands of hicks including Bush who butcher the English language on an hourly basis need to be stripped of their citizenship.
Can a blanket statement be made that, "Only in America are people proud of their ignorance"?
Carry on.
John Amato ama unito Dichiara... ed amiamo John!
Spanish, Italian, and Portugeuse explorers all navigated to America as well as the Brits....I wonder if these idiot racists and xenophobes know who Amerigo Vespucci was and how the name "America" came about?
For these assholes, America started its "history" when the Puritans came to the colonies....A Brit friend of mine told me that England was happy to get rid of the religious crazies anyway. England did not put up a 100% fight to win the "Revolution" anyhow having just ended a protracted war as well.
The "American Revolution" was a war of independence more than a revolution and many of the constitutional measures adopted were elitist in language and tone and that most of it was an adaptation, extension, modification, and change from the English Constitution.
The bottom line is that foreigners of the brown skin had been navigating to America long before John Winthrop and John Adams, not to mention that some came to this new land voluntary as in the case of Ponce DeLeon and not so in the case of the black slaves...and those "pesky Indians" who were here long before idiot-ass Tom Tancredo or Lou Dobbs' peasant-farmer ancestors.
Fritz @ 135:
Bzzzttt! Wrong! They re-elected one in 2004.
Generally speaking, but true for the most part that:
There is an old saying---People living in other nations do more to learn English than people living in America desire to learn foreign languages of other countries....
Americans expect everyone to learn English yet have not the will nor the desire to speak/learn foreign languages.
I am so tired of this English "language debate" nonsense. There are more functionary illiterates in America than any other industrialized nation in the world. Had it not been for blue collar jobs and the industrial age, those functionary illiterate Americans wouldn't have gotten away with their deficiencies.
I have one thing to say to the morons whom still think "illegal aliens" are taking away good jobs in America:
Outsourcing of jobs both inside and outside of America and the de-industrialization of America that started with Reagan in 1981.
As scholar John Williamson noted in 1989, the 'Washington Consensus' under Reagan and Thatcher started economic trends that are with the United States to this day. I did not realize that these "illegal aliens" who speak no English passed economic policies through the Congress and worked in tandem with the Federal Reserve, the IMF, World Bank, and the WTO. I did not know that these brilliant "illegal aliens" approved of free trade agreements....Any white European who has descended to America whether Irish, German, Italian, etc., came to America because of the Imperial policies that were present at that time in world history. Thus, emigrating to America from one's native land is became that people's Diaspora....be it Irish, German, Italian, etc.
The following are ingredients of the "Washington Consensus" that John Williamson, (1989), made such a popular term within global studies....Thank Reagan if you are upset about all this lopsided economic growth and the displacement of jobs and workers from other nations seeking entry into the United States. People are out of work in other nations as well, as American multinational corporations flood other nations with cheap goods for dirt cheap labor, while maintaining poverty low levels there for most of the population as jobs dwindle in the United States as well. Look at the ingredients of neoliberal economics also known as economic globalization and be so glad that Republicans like Tom Tancredo--(a Reagan incarnate)--is lecturing to all Americans about the economy and "illegal aliens." Tancredo and other right wing morons need a good economic history lesson. Here is a start for the right-wing idiots. Here is the economic principles started under Reagan:
• Fiscal discipline
• Redirection of public expenditure priorities towards fields offering both high economic returns and the potential to improve income distribution, eg., infrastructure, health care
• Tax reform (lower maginal rates; broader tax base)
• Interest-rate liberalization
• A competitive exchange rate
• Trade liberalization
• Liberalization of inflows of foreign investment
• Privatization
• Deregulation (abolishing barriers to entry and exit)
• Secure property rights
Republicans at the primal level always "sound good."
In reality, however, the policies the Republicans put in place at the realistic level, always turn to crap!!!!
S&L Crisis in 1987--under idiot Reagan
Economy of G.H.W. Bush from 1989-1993--sucked
Economy of G.W. Bush from 2001-2007---sucks and only gets worse by the day...gas prices--tell Cheney to release those crooked Energy meeting transcripts--or do only guilty people have something to hide? and oh, the crooked Medicare prescription drug scam and the housing subprime scam to benefit Bush and Cheney's pals in the Banking Industry?
Yeah, the Republicans are wonderful!!!!
Oh, and that 'Keating Five' John McCain must be a whiz on economic matters, right?
I don't recognize tancredo without his white hood. What a duffus dumb ass. he is laughable, and if anything, he reminds of a boil on the butt of a big fat ugly ass. he is an embarrassment to anyone in the repuglican ranks, simply because he flants his bigotry and stupidity out loud.
Usually they try to hide it.
McDuff @ 1:
No, there isn't. Nor should there be; "official" implies banning other languages -- not good. (I would point out that English didn't "become" the most popular in the U.S., it always has been by far.)
However, when he says that you must learn to read, write, and speak English to become a citizen... that is true. And, of course, quite important. It is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to teach all immigrants English to a high standard, so they cannot be abused or taken advantage of because of poor English skills. The must be able to -- and feel confident in -- speaking to the police, resolving a business dispute, and participating in democracy local, federal, and state. This requires better English training than we have currently and is essential to prevent exploitation and encourage upward financial mobility.
So while we do not have an official language, new immigrants ARE required to learn English. Period.
http://www.uscis.gov/naturalization
Of course, racism is racism. But the language issue is more disconnected (in my opinion) that Mr. Amato would imply. The Irish, for example, were one of the more abused immigrant classes for a while even though the majority spoke English already. For those saying they lost a language forever... not true! What a sad attitude! Learn it now! Learning a language can be harder as an adult but very much worth the effort, especially when you have relatives that you can learn from and speak with in the new language. I'm sure they they would be delighted with your interests in the language, and of family and cultural traditions. Please give learning another language now that you've mastered English a thought...
Personally, I've always thought it odd, that we'd rather print voting instructions, and DMV papers in 10 different languages rather than simply TEACH the people the English (ever hear the one about "teaching a person to fish"?)! How lazy, and how unfair to those that are still then at a disadvantage in the other 90% of their lives.
I've always believed in the "melting pot" theory of America rather than the "multiculturalism" of Europe. The idea here was that you had a minimum framework that everyone had to agree on to get along (english is one part), but outside of those bare bones, you can do whatever you want. You never even HAVE to speak English at ALL! But you must BE ABLE to speak it, should you need to interact with others or the government. You must be able to represent yourself and your interests, so you aren't a 2nd class citizen.
The multicultural route eliminates this shared structure and leads to separate religious courts for those in one cultural group, language discrimination in hiring, and general distrust and separation. This separation is a pretense of greater freedom, when it in fact becomes FAR more restrictive than the "melting pot" idea. In my view, "multiculturalism" actually breeds racism, as counter-intuitive as that might seem. Expecting every government employee from meter-maids to congress to speak 20 different languages fluently is absurd to say the least. So there are always some left out, and not empowered as individuals. They are beholden and DEPENDENT to their "clique" or cultural leaders to interact with the government for them! That is completely un-American, and immoral. We are all about the right of the individual over the group.
So I guess on this ONE point I agree with crazy racist guy. I don't expect campaigners to do a debate on a Korean speaking channel either, etc. Why? To me this seems more like a cynical grab at the attention of Hispanics from Republicans who will still act against the interests of most Hispanic Americans anyway. For what it's worth, I used to watch Univision for a few hours every two weeks, and Aztec America in between that. But not to see an exclusive presidential debate (that's in English anyway)!
Language fluency is an indispensable tool in a democracy. Let's concentrate on ENABLING as many people as possible by teaching English to all, instead of pointing fingers as to who can do the LEAST to help immigrants: the Spanish-only crowd, or racists like Tommy.
nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez @ 93:
Pardon my ignorance, but could you point me to the article of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that regards language used in the territories previously belonging to Mexico? I have read the treaty in the past, and I just reread it a couple minutes ago, and I find nothing regarding this. The words "language", "English", "spoken" and "written" are not mentioned in the treaty, and the word "Spanish" is only mentioned in Article V when referring to the Spanish fleet in 1782 and the new border south of San Diego. Help me find what you are referring to.
Univision should co-broadcast an English feed with the Spanish so I can understand.
what a stupid fuck(he is the voice of alot of closet bigots) I was born in the u.s. my parents were born in the U.S as well as my grandparents. We are more american than most. I watch alot of television especially the news so I know what these racist ignorant closet kkk thinkers are saying. But guess what I watch univision , I love the novelas, but I also watch the news and we are talking about these racist fucks. They don't know what they are stirring up. But you dumb asses don't understand what they are saying about you. I think thats a great it's a weapon for us. I love my gringo friends and I'm grateful they see what these bigot for what they are. So my friends don't get insulted by a saying that we have for people like trancredo. Where does this name come from, does not sound to american) the saying goes like this. IF YOU SPEAK THREE LANGUAGES YOUR TRILINGUAL, IF YOU SPEAK TWO LANGUAGES YOUR BILINGUAL, IF YOU SPEAK ONE LANGUAGE YOUR A GRINGO......
This clown only gets away with this rhetoric because the district he serves in is 87.7% white... not to mention Colorado is one of the whitest states on the map.
I hope him and his repugnant ilk, on pure principle, are boycotting fruit, hotels, 90% of all restaurants, laundrymats, etc. The economy would collapse in a day if all undocumented workers stopped existing. I had a discussion with a person at work that said "well, its not the corporations job to do the screening... if these people have the documents than they can hire them." Well, if that is the case, there are labor laws that are on the books that supposedly protect against the working conditions that most migrant farm workers and their families face.... and I think the last time the minimum wage was $2/hr was more than forty years ago. Hypocrites defined... like Olbermann said, if these clowns get their way... who would clean up after them?
Learn
To
Speak
English.
CONVERSATION DONE
Jesus!!! Viva Madrid!!!
Joe for Unity08 @ 146:
Would you construct a sentence written in English, please? Your announcement was not very impressive, either. It would have been nice had you not shouted out your point.
Many "legal" immigrants as well as second & third generation Americans never learned the English language, either, whether they be Italians, Germans, Polish, etc., and did not always get very far in school.
Many second & third generation Americans of the 'white skin' did not get past the 8th Grade. Some not even that far. There were a great deal of American White Males who did not even graduate from high school, as well.
What did these fine, upstanding white Americans do when it came to job applications? They lied about graduating from high school. Because of white privilege status, they were able to get away with those sins, I mean, lies.
I would guess that many White Americans whom are demanding others speak "English," immediately, most likely did not always get straight A's on their report cards, let alone A's or B's in English class.
It Looks like there are at least two Pauls commenting on this thread. I'm the one from 63 and 83, and I have one more thing to say, after thinking about this for several hours.
One of the things that has up until recently made the U.S. a great nation has been unity. One of our greatest and ever growing core strengths and talents as a people was that we could derive and practice unity in, and through, our diversity. Tancredo is a racist, which makes him a divider. He uses language, in this case, as his pretense to foment disunity, Instead of finding unity through diversity, he amplifies irrelevant differences to produce division and disunity.
The thing about disunity, is that it always creates some level of strife. And, a thing about dividers is that, in one way or another, their vision always employs and relies upon some level of injustice. Racism is inherently unjust, because it seeks to make victims out of innocents by placing them beneath the status of others, according to arbitrary and defective standards. The racist always requires a victim, somebody to be subjected to never-ending injustice. The racist/bigot derives his own supposed well-being by depriving well-being to others that he has determined are somehow unlike himself.
It seems to me that the best way to bring about the well-being of the individual is to work for the well-being of the greatest possible number of those around you. And, the surest way to do that is to deeply embed concepts of justice in the heard and mind such that it becomes a principal guide for all actions and decisions that involve others. Coincidentally, this ends up also being the path of peace.
If you want peace and well-being, you work for unity. If you want unity, you work for justice. It creates a benevolent circle and establishes a cycle of good.
If you want strife, you work for disunity. If you want disunity, you work for, advocate for and practice injustice. This path creates a vicious circle and establishes a cycle of evil.
Both paths are choices. That Tancredo chooses the dark path, and that he does it out of his lust for leadership and power, that he is uncaring of the consequences of his choice - just so long as he gets his way - says nothing good about him. Nothing good at all. He is unfit for any position of influence, authority or power. The extent to which he achieves these things will produce proportional harm in our society.
That's all. Good night, all.
Keeping up with the Dow Joneses
By:Vijay Prashad: is Associate Professor and Director of International Studies, Trinity College in Hartford, CT.
Bibliographic Data: Trade Paperback, 192 Pages, South End Press, June 2003
List Price: $17.00
Status: In Print
ISBN: 0896086895
Description: In this short but powerful book of interlinked essays, noted cultural critic Vijay Prashad examines the contradictions of the American economy.
Prashad assesses a range of related issues: the oft-vaunted US economy, propped up by the rising debt of poor and middle-class workers; welfare policies that punish those attempting to escape the grip of debt and poverty; and a prison industry that regulates and houses the unemployed, as well as a reserve army of laborers.
In "Keeping Up with the Dow Joneses," Prashad argues that the advent of mass production and advertising has converted citizens into consumers whose desires are captured by the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses."
Yet, as Prashad so persuasively demonstrates, keeping up with the Joneses is a trap: Americans have gone into massive consumer debt, with the poorest forty percent of the public borrowing money to compensate for stagnant incomes, not to spend on luxuries. Only the richest twenty percent borrow money to invest in stocks. Not surprisingly, in the last few years, income and wealth differentials have risen to record highs. By making crystal-clear connections between the economy, welfare reform and the profit-driven prison industrial complex, Prashad offers a vision for a sustainable and vital anti-imperialist movement.
Vijay Prashadis Associate Professor and Director of International Studies, Trinity College. He is the author of several books including "Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting: Afro-Asian Connections and the Myth of Cultural Purity, Fat Cats and Running Dogs" and "The Karma of Brown Folk." Each was included in the Village Voice's "25 Best Books of the Year" list.
About the Author: Vijay Prashad is Associate Professor and Director of International Studies, Trinity College, Hartford, CT. He is the author of five books: Untouchable Freedom: A Social History of a Dalit Community (Oxford, 1999); Karma of Brown Folk (Minnesota, 2000); Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting: Afro-Asian Connections and the Myth of Cultural Purity (Beacon, 2001); War Against the Planet: The Fifth Afghan War, US Imperialism and Other Assorted Fundamentalisms (Leftword, 2002); Fat Cats and Running Dogs: The Enron Stage of Capitalism (Common Courage and Zed Books, 2002).
Maybe we should demand Tom Tancredo and others like him release their report cards, (all the way back to first grade), to see what grades they earned in English class.
And one can get access to such records up to 100 years after a person dies. It would be interesting to see how well such racists did in English class.
I have known plenty of white racists who flunked out of high school because it was "too tough" for them.
New disclosure for all GOP candidates:
Release report cards and college transcripts, regarding all English-related and Literature classes, etc.
I hope Tancredo gets the Rethuglican nomination his racist views are typical of the Right wingers, I know lots of fucktard republicans and everyone is a Fascist bigot son of a bitch. The ones who are truley supportive of diversity are all Democrats, I know lots of religious people who pretend to support Diversity but its all for show If they are righties there Fascist and thats all there is to it.
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